CN114532247A — Cognitive ability test system

Assignee: Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT) · Inventors: Ji Wenjing, Yang Xing, Ren Zhen, Lu Zhonghua, Zhu Yuyuan, Xu Dongdong, Li Mengqi (pinyin transliteration of the CN record) Filed: 2020-11-20 (CN202011313055.XA) · Published: 2022-05-27 · Status: Pending (CN)

Abstract

A cognitive ability testing system comprising at least one cognitive ability testing device, itself comprising a task detection device and a linking structure. The task detection device configures and displays cognitive detection tasks and receives/processes task execution information triggered by the subject; the linking structure sits on top of the detection face and connects the device to the subject’s living cage. Suspending the test device on the animal’s home cage reduces the environmental change caused by transferring animals for testing (improving result accuracy), and multiple devices allow many animals to be tested simultaneously.

Key technical features

• Brain recording: NO — touchscreen task presentation + liquid reward + video capture (remote monitoring); no EEG/electrodes
• Species: Animal (non-human primate) — 12 “monkey”; 6 “primate” (mostly within “non-human primate”); 14 “animal”; the worked embodiment is a monkey; zero rodent. Background frames the use case as cognitive testing of non-human primate autism models
• Classification: A01K29/005 (monitoring or measuring activity); A01K29/00
• Structure: retractable-hook linking structure to match the device height to the cage opening (claim 2); task execution device = operation terminal + touchscreen display (claim 4); liquid supply reward device = single-chip microcomputer + micro-pump, storage bottle, conduit, outlet fixed to the same side as the screen (claims 5-7); transparent display protection baffle with an access opening (claim 8); video capture device between the task device and linking structure, transmitting to a remote workstation for remote experimenter monitoring (claim 10)
• Citations: 4 patent citations; cited by 1

Significance

An in-cage (home-cage) cognitive testing system for non-human primates, motivated by the standard workflow’s problems: animals must be transferred to a test cage each session, adapting to a new environment, with experimenter operation required every time and no batch testing. The design suspends the touchscreen task device on the animal’s daily living cage so the animal is tested where it lives — claimed to reduce environment-driven variance, remove handling, and enable simultaneous testing of many animals. Conceptually the NHP counterpart of the automated home-cage systems used in rodents (see automated-cognitive-testing-devices); it complements the Kunming Institute of Zoology NHP test-cage water-reward device (CN205357588U).